Document Loading Tray Standby Positioning for Faster Reading Start
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing document conveying devices require a long time to start reading original documents due to the need to move the document loading tray from a lower limit position to an upper limit position, which interferes with user operations and reduces convenience.
Innovation Solution
A document conveying device with an elevating mechanism that moves the document loading tray to a standby position after a predetermined waiting time from detecting the presence of sheets, allowing the tray to be positioned closer to the upper limit without immediate contact with the feed roller, and controls the tray's movement based on user instructions and sensor detections to optimize operation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the document loading tray is moved up to the upper limit position immediately after detecting sheets, then the reading operation can start promptly, but the tray movement interferes with user operations and reduces convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The control device moves the document loading tray to the upper limit position in advance after detecting sheets on the tray, before the user issues the reading instruction. This preliminary positioning action ensures the tray is ready for immediate reading operation while the user can still load and align sheets without interference from tray movement during the operation phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic detection of sheet presence on the document loading tray and periodically adjusts the tray position accordingly. The tray is moved to the upper limit position when sheets are detected and no reading operation is active, then remains stationary during user operations, creating a periodic cycle of movement and stationary states that balances productivity and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the document loading tray stays at the lower limit position, then user operations are not interfered with, but it takes long time to start reading the original document
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary movement of the document loading tray to the upper limit position after detecting sheets, so that when the user issues the reading instruction, the tray is already in the correct position. This eliminates the time delay that would otherwise occur from moving the tray from the lower limit position after the user's instruction.
3Productivity
If the document loading tray moves up to the upper limit position immediately, then reading operation can start quickly, but the movement interferes with user's work of loading and aligning sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The control device moves the document loading tray to the upper limit position in advance after detecting sheets on the tray, but before the user issues the reading instruction. This timing ensures the tray is positioned ready for reading while the user can still freely load and align sheets without the tray moving during their manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device continuously monitors the state of the document loading tray through sensors that detect sheet presence and tray position. Based on this feedback, the control device intelligently decides when to move the tray to the upper limit position (when sheets are detected and no reading is active) and when to keep it stationary (during user operations or active reading), optimizing both productivity and ease of operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A document conveying device (6) includes an operation device (470), a document loading tray (61), a document detection sensor (73), a document ejection tray (62), a feed roller (41), a document conveying mechanism (63), an elevating mechanism (64), and a controller (100). Upon passage of a first waiting time from when the document detection sensor (73) has detected any sheet of original document on the document loading tray (61), the controller (100) allows the elevating mechanism (64) to move the document loading tray (61) to a standby position between upper and lower limit positions and stop the tray at the standby position. Upon acceptance of an instruction to read original document through the operation device (470), the controller (100) allows the feed roller (41) to feed a sheet of original document on the document loading tray (61), allows the document conveying mechanism (63) to convey the fed sheet to a reading position, and allows the elevating mechanism (64) to move up the document loading tray (61) to the upper limit position.